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Tips to drought-proof your garden

Posted by admin on 10/07/2018

WATER WISE: Tamworth Regional Council sustainability officer Ian Lobban and TAFE New England manager of trades and primary industries Noel Woodburn put their heads together for a course to teach local green thumbs how to create a drought-tolerant garden. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 050416GOA02

WITH dam levels plummeting, now is a great time for local green thumbs to learn how to create a drought-tolerant garden.

Tamworth Regional Council and TAFE New England have teamed up for a one-day workshop that will give participants some tips on making the most of our water resources, while still enjoying the great outdoors and all it has to offer. The course was such a hit with locals last year, they’ve decided to run it again, at the end of this month.

“It is a great way to learn how to establish attractive gardens without using a lot of water,” council sustainability officer Ian Lobban said.

Drought-tolerant garden planning, alternative ground covers, plant selection, fertilising programs, efficient irrigation and lawn management are just some of the topics that will be covered.

Participants will also be asked to provide soil samples from their own gardens, so they can get some advice on the plantings that will suit their area.

The workshop, on April 23, is being subsidised by the council, which will cover 50 per cent of the cost for residents from the Tamworth region.

As an added bonus, course participants will be given two vouchers for up to two cubic metres of fine mulch from the Forest Road Waste Management Facility, valid for six months.

Meanwhile, the council is also negotiating to extend the workshops to its own horticultural workforce, in a bid to keep them up to date with the latest in drought-proof gardening.

For more information about the course, or to enrol, contact Nicky Turner or Jayne Wood at TAFE New England on 6768 2204.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.